Is 'slaughter-free' the industrys next buzz word?

July 14, 2011

Siblings have opened what they believe is the first carry-out pizzeria in the United Kingdom to use 'slaughter-free' cheese.

An artisanal cheese maker in Somerset, England, produces the mozzarella used at the Karma Free Pizza Company, using milk from an organic Jersey cow farm in Suffolk that does not cull its animals, according to the Harrow Observer.

"It's slaughter-free and ethical," said Saloni Ben-Belaid, a co-owner of Karma Free. "It's something that's never been tried before."

According to Ben-Belaid, the calves are allowed to live, and the milk-yielding cows, once retired, are looked after until they pass away naturally.

"The cows aren't mechanically impregnated so it's a more humane existence for the animals," she said. "And you haven't got all the normal hormones and antibiotics in there, so you're eating healthy cheese."

She and her brother, Shyam Raithatha, opened the restaurant in June, employing two chefs, who freshly prepare and serve a vegetarian menu that includes burgers and pizza.

"My brother was a takeaway junky and he was diagnosed with diabetes," said Ben-Belaid, who hopes to educate people about what "they're putting in their mouths. We know the fast food business only as customers, but we have winged it and it's come good. So far the results have been positive. It's a guilt-free fast food experience."